Club owner's death 'not linked to bouncer clampdown'

The murder of the owner of a prominent Cape Town gay nightclub has not been linked to a clampdown on the bouncer industry in the city, police said on Wednesday.

Bruno Bronn (50) owner of one of the Cape Town’s best known gay nightclubs, Bronx, was found dead by his domestic worker shortly before 9am on Tuesday morning.

“The death is being treated as a separate incident,” spokesperson Warrant Officer November Filander said.

“Several people are being questioned regarding the incident. But at the moment the murder not linked with any other allegations.”

Some 13 city bouncers were arrested at the weekend in a major police clampdown on the nightclub industry.

‘Scared and traumatised’
The bouncers were from the company Specialised Protection Services, which was set up after underworld figure Cyril Beeka was murdered last year.
The company is an amalgamation of two rival companies, one of which was previously run by Beeka.

According to a report in the Cape Times a group of four friends and colleagues arrived at the home just before Bronn’s body was removed from the scene.

The police and a team of forensic experts spent at least three hours at Bronn’s home on Ocean View Drive before his body was carried into a mortuary van.

One of the nightclub’s disc jockeys, Dawid Human, broke down in tears as the forensics team removed the body.

Human told the Cape Times: “Bruno came to see me on Sunday and said he was very scared and traumatised because of this person that has been harassing him ... I think I know who it is, but I can’t say.”

Cause of death
Human stopped the interview after being confronted by a throng of reporters and rushed off to his car.

Filander said Bronn was found lying on his back on the floor with his hands tied with tape in front of him.

“Marks were found around his neck, but the cause of death is yet to be determined,” Filander said.

It was not known whether anything was taken from the house.

The Bronx made news in 2006 when a security guard at the club was wounded after five shots were fired in a drive-by shooting in the early hours of the morning. At the time Bronn denied the shooting had anything to do with the club.—Sapa